Charges: 2 Found Drunk With Baby Inside ‘Putrid’ Home

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MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (WCCO) — Two people have been arrested and charged after police found them drunk inside a “putrid” Maplewood residence with a 22-month-old child inside.

Both Clayton Steven Johnson, 26, and Rebecca Lee Koecher, 23, have been charged with neglect of a child.

Police responded to a call from Johnson’s landlord who said that Johnson was drunk and banging on his back door. Police went to Johnson’s residence on the 1800 block of County Road B.

Officers noted the smell of something rotten inside, which they presumed was either a dead person or animal. When Johnson opened the door for police, he fell out of the building, wobbled his way up and tried to slam the door in officers’ faces, the charges state.

Officers inquired about his 22-month-old son. At that point, Johnson started swearing and clenching his fists. He was cuffed and put into a squad car.

Police went inside and found Koecher passed out on a bed inside with an empty 750 ml bottle of vodka on the floor nearby.

A Maplewood health officer was called to examine the state of their residence, and called it uninhabitable. Rotten food and mold were evident in the kitchen, and officers said the sink smelled like “a dead rodent.” The bathroom toilet was plugged up with human waste, and used tampons were strewn on the floor. Dirty diapers were also found throughout the residence.

Koecher and Johnson were both taken to detox and the boy was taken to Children’s Hospital. Johnson, who has four prior felony convictions, tried to punch and spit on officers, and repeatedly called one of them a “stupid Jew,” the charges state.

In addition to the child neglect charges, Johnson has also been charged with fourth-degree assault on an officer.